(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a light source for a non-selfluminous display device, and in particular, to a liquid crystal display device having a light guiding plate and a backlight using LED's as a light source.
(2) Description of Related Art
In recent years, liquid crystal display devices have been widely in use as display devices. In particular, liquid crystal display devices are thin, light and consume little power, and thus used as display portions for portable apparatuses.
Liquid crystal display devices, however, are not selfluminous and thus require a means for illumination. Surface lighting units, referred to as backlight, are widely used as lighting units in general liquid crystal display devices. Cold cathode ray discharge tubes are used for light emitting elements for conventional backlights (also referred to as light sources), and in recent years, LED's (light emitting diodes) have also been used as light emitting elements.
Thin backlights include sidelight type backlights where light emitting elements are provided on the side. Sidelight type backlights are provided with a light guiding plate. Light guiding plates are made of a transparent resin or the like so that light which enters the light guiding plate from the light emitting element propagates through the light guiding plate. Light guiding plates are provided with reflective and light scattering members, such as trenches, protrusions or printed materials, and light that propagates through the light guiding plate is emitted toward the liquid crystal display device through the reflective and light scattering members.
In recent years, attempts have been made to form a liquid crystal display panel having a spherical surface, and the following “Patent Document 1,” for example, discloses a liquid crystal display panel having a spherical surface. However, “Patent Document 1” does not describe the backlight used for liquid crystal display panels being in spherical form.
(Patent Document 1) Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication 2000-10083